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On November 5th, a family’s apartment was set on fire after their dog accidentally turned on the kitchen burner and started a fire.
Coeur d’Alene Press report That fateful Tuesday started out like any other.
Jessica Thomassen stayed home with her dog Harley for a few hours after dropping her son off at his mother’s house.
Mr. Thomassen then started working for his own company. However, shortly after that, we received a call from a neighbor who said the fire alarm had gone off.
“When I finished work and opened the door to check, all the smoke came out.” says Thomasen. “When I opened the door, it was just a wall of smoke.“
Hurley immediately ran out of the apartment while Thomassen called 911, according to the Coeur d’Alene Press.
The fire was reportedly extinguished by the time firefighters arrived, but burn marks remained in the apartment. “Significant smoke damage.”
It was eventually determined that the cause of the fire was a 12-year-old German shepherd/heeler mix.
Thomassen called the fire a “super freak accident” and said: “What happened was that my dog apparently tried to knock a metal food bowl off the counter and hit it against the burner, somehow igniting it.“
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Chris Way told the Coeur d’Alene Press that while it is rare for a pet to start a fire, it is not completely impossible.
“There was an incident where a dog knocked over a candle. There was also an incident where a dog hit a stove.”Wey said.
Coeur d’Alene Press reports that unfortunately the Red Cross has deemed the apartment uninhabitable.
Thomasen’s family is currently staying in a hotel while they look for a new home.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Thomassen and his family recover from the fire. You can help by donating here.
